Lord March has kicked off the countdown to the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed at the annual press preview.

The theme is Racing Revolutions - Quantum Leaps That Shaped Motorsport. Lord March said it meant a mouth-watering array of cars, celebrating tech advances such as 4wd, carbonfibre and monocoque construction.

Naturally, there are a number of anniversaries to celebrate: the centenary of the Indianapolis 500 race, 100 years of Chevrolet, the Jaguar E-type's golden birthday and 110 years of Skoda motorsport involvement.

'We'll be the main focus for Indy 500 celebrations outside the US,' said Lord March. 'We'll have more than 20% of cars that ever won the Indy 500.'

A range of other events will add the rich diversity that made Goodwood motorsport so famous. The supercar run continues, there's a Rolling Motor Show on the Thursday (with more than 23 car makers signed up) and the FoSTec pavillion will showcase eco cars.

The Festival of Speed runs from Thursday 30 June to Sunday 3 July 2011.

• It's a dry day at the Goodwood press preview. Join CAR as we wonder around and see some of the cars coming to the 2011 Festival of Speed.

• What's this? A Nissan Leaf going up the hill - backwards! It's a stunt to show that it's as fast in reverse as it is going forwards. Being driven by stunt driver Terry Grant. Hampered by a 40kph limiter, it'll be removed for the festival as they seek a new, backwards speed record up Lord March's front drive.

• The press preview is like a mini festival in its own right. There can only be a couple of hundred media and sponsor guests - and a whole load of cars to ogle as they run up the hill for demo runs. We're off down to the start line to watch.

• In keeping with the 2011 theme, there are a brace of Jaguar E-types, and its spiritual successor the XKR-S making its dynamic debut. Sadly Jag aren't doing passenger rides. Must seek my thrills elsewhere.

• Bruno Senna has agreed to take me up in the Lotus Evora S. Wristbanded up, I wait for my turn, spotting some of the more interesting machinery lining up on the startline. There's some poor bundle of nerves in a Caparo T1, preparing for certain terror next to Mikka Hakkinen. The SWB Audi Quatro, a Lancia Stratos, McLaren MP4-12C, Tesla Roadster... The list goes on.

• My time is approaching to accompany Senna up the hill. He's staying in the Evora, as there's a chill in the air. I climb in, and we talk about F1, the film about his uncle Ayrton ('it's really moving, a great movie'), and his new company car: an Evora S like the one we're sitting in. 'I'll have mine in a dark colour, not yellow,' he tells me. 'I'll stand out in Monaco too much.'

• Strapped in, we inch towards the start line. I attach a video camera to capture it for CAR Online and suddenly we're off. Damn, this supercharged one is fast. We squirm as the rear wheels scrabbles for grip on the Goodwood startline. I'm pushed back hard and brace myself as we approach the first corner. I've not driven the S only the basic Evora , but it's bloody quick. That trad Lotus ride quality is intact and Senna throws the car into the corners before Goodwood House. He fluffs a couple of gearchanges, but we still hit 110mph past the house. Then it's hard on the brakes for Molecomb and we're slowed down as the hillclimb is truncated for press day. There sadly aren't enough haybales to run flat out to the top. It's quite a ride.

• The man from TAG Heuer whisks me aside to show me its original 100-year-old first car timer. It's normally kept in a Swiss museum - looks like a giant stop watch or ship's clock, and accurate to one second.

• Tag Heuer has struck a deal to time at the Festival of Speed. After the crashes in the 1990s, they won't be timing full runs or doing speed traps, but rather doing a 100m standing start - with points for the most brutal getaways. Turns out Anthony Reid scored the fastest start in a Jaguar XF-R. Of course, in Goodwood parlance that's 'the most spirited getaway.'

• Ferrari's heard that golfer Nick Faldo has bought a McLaren MP4-12C. They're desperately shunting the golfer into a 458 Italia for a run up the hill. Perhaps he'll have one of each.

• Few details emerging about the 2011 Goodwood Revival. There'll be a separate E-type-only race broken out of the TT. A 45-minute, two-driver race. And as it's the Spitfire's 75th anniversary, there'll be a special celebration at its former airbase. 'We are hoping to have a record for the most number of Spitfires in the air at one time since WW2,' said Lord March. 'We should have 15 to 18.'

2011 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED –NEWS DIGEST

The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed and Moving Motor Show are set to be held this year from 30 June – 3 July. Below is a summary of just some of the planned 2011 highlights.

2011 FESTIVAL THEME:

‘Racing Revolutions – Quantum leaps that shaped motor sport.’ The essence of this theme will run right through this year’s Festival attractions, with racing innovations evident throughout, including developments to engine, aerodynamics, chassis construction, and much more.

MOVING MOTOR SHOW PREVIEW DAY:

The Goodwood Moving Motor Show is a one-day extension to the hugely successful Festival of Speed. Based at a purpose-built exhibition facility, this annual event held within the grounds of Goodwood Park is a significant addition to the annual Festival of Speed, and will take place on Thursday 30 June 2011. New cars buyers will be able to enjoy an exclusive motor show preview day, where they will not only be able to see the very latest new car models on display, but in some cases also climb aboard and experience the vehicles first-hand, strictly at the invitation of the participating vehicle manufacturers. The cars will undertake hundreds of runs on a special evaluation route that includes the world famous Goodwood hillclimb, following in the wheel tracks of many celebrated racing drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sir Stirling Moss.

MODERN MOTOR SPORT:

Formula One – A record nine of the current 2011 teams are expected to attend Goodwood this year, including the reigning F1 World Championship team Red Bull, along with a number of this season’s top drivers.

WRC – Skoda, which marks 110 years of motor sport involvement this year, will be the new partner for the popular Goodwood Forest Rally Stage, which this year is set to attract most of the current WRC and IRC teams, including American star Ken Block in his new-for-2011 Ford Fiesta WRC, plus the British debut of the new WRC Mini Countryman A host of other rally stars and cars, past and present, will also be seen in action throughout the event, along with a number of enhancements to the rally stage to make the spectator experience even more exciting. The 25th anniversary of the final season of Group B rally weapons will also be acknowledged.

Motorcycles – Many of the works World Superbike teams are expected at the Festival, plus a number of leading riders, including British stars James Toseland, Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea.

JAGUAR:

This legendary Coventry marque celebrates two important anniversaries at the Festival, with a striking automotive ‘sculpture’ in front of Goodwood House to celebrate 50 years of Britain’s most iconic sportcar, the E-Type, as well as the 60th anniversary since Jaguar first won at the gruelling Le Mans 24 Hours race. Expect to see over 35 important Jaguars at the event, including the dynamic UK public debut of the most powerful production Jaguar ever made, the new XKR-S.

ANNIVERSARIES:

100 Years of the Indianapolis 500:

Goodwood is staging the biggest celebration of Indianapolis outside America. To date over 30 cars have been confirmed, all of which played a significant role at the Brickyard, including nine outright winning chassis, to be driven by drivers with a dozen wins between them. Many of the cars will be appearing at the Festival for the first time. The cars will all be displayed together, creating a mini Gasoline Alley within the F1 Paddock. On track, the unique pageantry of the Indy 500 will be recreated with a Goodwood twist.

100 Years of the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course:

The first 100 years of the Mountain Course on the Isle Of Man TT will be honoured at the Festival with a collection of significant motorcycles and riders that have triumphed on this gruelling event over the last century.

20 Years of Super Touring:

Twenty years after the BTCC ran to 2-litre rules for the first time, spawning the hugely-popular category, Goodwood will gather many of the significant cars and star drivers from the Super Touring era, which dominated saloon car racing worldwide for a decade. So far confirmed are Festival debutant Laurent Aiello, Paul Radisich and Anthony Reid.

Goodwood Action Sports (GAS):

New for 2011 will be a reinvigorated young persons’ area, incorporating the Goodwood Action Sports (GAS) live action sports arena, featuring five different types of extreme two-wheeled sport, all performing on an integrated series of jumps and ramps. GAS will be supported by SEAT, with its own Club SEAT interactive area and young driver experience. The emphasis of GAS will be on world class athletes in various extreme two-wheeled disciplines. As well as watching the experts, there will be an opportunity for Festival visitors to try each sport for themselves in the activities field. The Junior FoS for younger Goodwood visitors will remain as a popular attraction as well